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Biography
of Elder John Leland

The following biography of John Leland is from
History Of The Church Of God, From The Creation To
A.D. 1885; by Cushing Biggs and Sylvester
Hassell.

John Leland was a pivotal American figure. While
serving as a faithful minister of the gospel, he was
also firm supporter of religious liberty. His
influence in our country's development was crucial,
with many historians crediting him with Freedom of
Religion as guaranteed by the 1st Amendment.

Elder John Leland (1754-1841), a
native of Grafton, Mass., was brought under
conviction for sin and also concerned in regard to
the ministry in his eighteenth year, experienced a
hope in Christ and was baptized and began to
exercise in public in his twentieth year, was
married in his twenty-second year, and, during the
sixty-seven years of his ministry, labored with his
own hands, never solicited money for himself, went
forth entirely undirected and unsupported by
missionary societies or funds, preached from four to
fourteen times a week, from Massachusetts to South
Carolina (fifteen years in Virginia, from 1776 to
1791, and the most of the remainder of the time in
Massachusetts), traveling more than a hundred
thousand miles, somewhat on foot, but mostly on
horseback, baptized 1,535 persons on a credible
profession of faith, only one or two of whom ever
attended Sunday Schools, faithfully preached the
word unmixed with the doctrines and commandments of
men, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind,
zealously opposed Sunday Schools, Theological
Seminaries, a salaried ministry, and moneyed
religious institutions, endured great and numerous
persecutions, was an earnest advocate of civil and
religious liberty, personally knew more than a
thousand Baptist preachers, heard more than three
hundred of them preach, and entertained more than
two hundred of them at his house, wrote about thirty
pamphlets and many hymns, including, "The day is
past and gone," and "Christians, if your hearts be
warm, Ice and snow can do no harm," never could
preach without getting into the third chapter of
John, declaring the necessity of being born again,
and more and more felt his unworthiness the longer
he lived, carefully weighing himself in the balances
of the sanctuary and finding himself wanting, and
feeling that his soul and all his services needed
washing in the blood of the Lamb, and perfuming with
the intercession of the great High Priest, and that,
at last, on the verge of the grave, with hoary head,
and decrepit limbs, and faltering tongue, he could
but cry, "God, be merciful to me a sinner! Save,
Lord, or I must perish!" He preached in four hundred
and thirty-six meeting-houses, thirty-seven
court-houses, several capitols, academies and
school-houses, barns, tobacco-houses, and
dwelling-houses, and many hundreds of times on
stages in the open air, having congregations of from
five to ten thousand people. In 1835 he wrote: "I
have been preaching sixty years to convince men that
human powers were too degenerate to effect a change
of heart by self-exertion; and all the revivals of
religion that I have seen have substantially
accorded with that sentiment. But now a host of
preachers and people have risen up, who ground
salvation on the foundation that I have sought to
demolish. The world is gone after them, and their
converts increase abundantly. How much error there
has been in the doctrine and measures that I have
advocated, I cannot say; no doubt some, for I claim
not infallible inspiration. But I have not yet been
convinced of any mistake so radical as to justify a
renunciation of what I have believed, and adopt the
new measures." In 1833 he wrote to the "Signs of the
Times:" "In these days of novelty we are frequently
addressed from the pulpit as follows: 'Professors of
religion, you stand in the way of God and
sinners-give up your old hope and come now into the
work-God cannot convert sinners while you are
stumbling-blocks in the way-sinners are stumbling
over you into hell. Profane sinners, I call upon you
to flee from the wrath to come-come this minute and
give your heart to God, or you will seal your own
damnation-God has given you the power, and will damn
you if you do not use it-God has done all He can for
you and will do no more-look not for a change of
heart; a change of purpose is all that is
necessary-to pray the Lord to enable you would be
presumptuous. Some of you are mourning for the loss
of a friend-I tell you your friend is in hell, and
has gone there on your account-had you done your
duty, your friend would now be in Heaven, but for
your neglect your friend is damned. My hearers, you
may have a revival of religion whenever you
please-begin in the work, and the work will begin
among the people-continue in it and the work will
continue-keep on and the work will become
universal.' Now I have not so learned Christ-I do
not understand the Scriptures in that light-it is
not the voice of my Beloved-it sounds like the voice
of a stranger, and I dare not follow it. Societies
of various kinds are now formed, with ostensible
views, to extirpate drunkenness, masonry, ignorance,
slavery and idolatry from the earth; and the people,
from the aged to the infant, are called upon to
enroll their names and take a bold stand to moralize
and christianize the world. Lying, fraud, love of
money, hypocrisy, gaming, dueling and licentiousness
as yet seem to be considered too sacred to be
meddled with, for no society is formed to check
them. The missionary establishment, in its various
departments, is a stupendous institution. Literary
and theological schools, Bible and tract societies,
foreign and domestic missions, general, State,
county and district conventions, Sunday School
Unions, etc., are all included in it. To keep it in
motion, missionary boards, presidents, treasurers,
corresponding secretaries, agents, printers,
buildings, teachers, runners, collectors,
mendicants, etc., are all in requisition. The cloud
of these witnesses is so great that one who doubts
the divinity of the measure is naturally led to
think of the locusts in Egypt that darkened the
Heavens and ate up every green thing on earth. This
machine is propelled by steam (money), and does not
sail by the wind of Heaven. Immense donations and
contributions have already been cast into the
treasury; and we see no end to it, for the
solicitors and mendicants are constantly crying
'Give, Give,' with an unblushing audacity that makes
humble saints hold down their heads. But I forbear.
The subject sickens. I close in the words of God
Himself, 'Stand ye in the way, and see, and ask for
the old paths, where is the good way, and walk
therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls'" Jer
6:16. Among the other remarkable and excellent
sayings preserved in his writings are the following:
"That God is good, and that men are rebellious-that
salvation is of the Lord, and damnation is of
ourselves, are truths revealed as plain as a
sunbeam." "God sits upon a great white throne, free
from every stain." "When I was a boy, I could not
understand Pedobaptist orthography; they spelt
circumcision, and pronounced it baptism. And I
observed that they put the cart before the horse;
instead of, 'He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved,' they would have it, 'He that is baptized
and believeth shall be saved!'" "Some say, 'If you
will pay me well for preaching and praying, I will
do them, otherwise I will not.' Such golden sermons
and silver prayers are of no great value." "There is
no danger of your being damned, if you see
yourselves bad enough to be saved wholly by grace.
He that has raised you out of the grave of carnal
security will loose you and let you go. He that has
opened your eyes to see your dungeon and chains will
also bring you out of the prison-house and set you
free." Referring to the text which many preachers
seemed to take, "Schools, Academies and Colleges are
the inexhaustible fountains of true piety, morality
and literature," he said that he had never been able
to find it in the Bible. "In my travels I have heard
much said about a Savior by the name of 'Old Mr.
Well's You Can,' but I have never seen him, and
almost despair of ever finding him below the sun. If
the salvation of the soul depends upon our doing as
well as we can, who can be saved? If a man falters
once in his life from doing as well as he can, the
chance is over with him. Those who place the
greatest hope for Heaven on doing as well as they
can, are more negligent in good works than those who
detest themselves as the vilest of the vile, and
trust alone in the mercy of God, through the blood
of Christ. Pharisees may boast of good works, but
humble penitents perform them." "The only true
Missionary Society ever founded on earth was that
established by Christ in Galilee more than eighteen
hundred years ago, His church, to whom he said
nothing about collecting money for the spread of the
gospel." "Missions established on Divine impression
are no ways related to those formed by human
calculation. When the Apostles traveled from Judea
to Gentile regions, they collected from the
Gentiles, and brought the alms to the poor saints in
Judea; but now the poor saints in Judea are taxed to
aid the missionaries when they go." In 1829 he
wrote: "In 1755 Daniel Marshal and Shubal Stearns,
moving southward, preached and formed a church of
sixteen members on Sandy Creek, Guilford County, N.
C. In the south part of Virginia, North and South
Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky, there are
more than a thousand Baptist churches, now existing,
which arose from that beginning. These missionaries
had neither outfit nor annuity. The providence of
God, the prayers of the saints, and the benevolence
of those who were taught by them, carried them
through." "Children are now exhorted to cast their
mites into the missionary treasury, with
encouragements that every cent may save a soul."
"Bibles, Tracts and Magazines are much more abundant
now than formerly; but it is a serious question
whether Biblical knowledge is equal to what it was
fifty years ago." "Sabbath Schools are very
fashionable, and are considered by many as the great
lock-link which unites nature and grace together;
but those among whom I live and labor are without
them; and they say that, if the Sabbath is holy
time, it ought not to be profaned by acquiring
literature." "I would never worship a day, and make
a Savior of it; but worship the Lord, in spirit and
truth, every day; and publicly assemble as often as
duty called and opportunity served." "Some seem to
say, 'The eleventh and great commandment, on the
observance of which hang all religion and good
order, is, 'Remember the first day of the week, and
keep it hypocritically: the six following days may
labor, laughter, lying, cheating, drinking, gaming,
reveling and oppression be done, by day or by night,
according to the inclination of the individuals; but
on the first day of the week shall no labor or
recreation be done, save only that men may salt
their cows in the morning, sleep in time of service,
talk about politics, fashions and prices at
noontime, read newspapers after service, and pay
their addresses at night.'" "For many years of my
life I drank no spirits. During recent years, with
increasing infirmities, I have used about a gallon
per year. A spoon-bowl full is as much as I use at a
time, and the times of drinking are not frequent."
"Internal religion is always the same, and always
will be. So many religious novelties have lately
sprung up that I have often exclaimed, 'They have
taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have
laid Him.' But this alarm has been quieted by, 'What
is that to thee? follow thou Me.'" In 1827 he
writes: "I now have eighty-two descendants living,
including children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren. A few of my posterity have died
at their respective homes; but I have never had a
coffin or a death at my house." In 1830 he writes:
"Every child has left me; myself and wife keep house
alone. We have neither Cuffie nor Phillis to help or
plague us. My wife is seventy-seven years old, and
has this season done the housework, and from six
cows has made eighteen hundred pounds of cheese, and
two hundred and fifty pounds of butter." In 1831 he
writes: "We have nine children, seven of whom have
made a profession of religion." "When convicted of
sin, I found that I could no more believe, come to
Christ, and give up my whole heart to Him, than I
could create a world; that, unless I was drawn by
the Father, all the exertions of my natural powers
of body and mind could not bring me to the Son;
that, unless I was born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God, and saved by grace, I must sink into hell." In
1836 he writes: "Would not a new translation of some
passages in the New Testament, according to our
present dialect and customs, be acceptable? In Mt
10:7 read thus: And as ye go, preach to the people,
Your money is essential to the salvation of sinners,
and, therefore, form into societies, and use all
devisable means to collect money for the Lord's
treasury; for the Millennium is at hand. In Mr 16:16
read: He that has attended Sunday Schools, had his
mind informed by tracts, contributed to support
missions, and joined in societies to support
benevolent institutions, shall be saved; the rest
shall be damned. In Mt 10:17 read: Be ye wise as
serpents in your guile to deceive men; keep out of
sight that ye have to receive part that you collect
for your mendicancy; show great concern for poor
benighted heathen, but let your neighbors have none
of your prayers, exhortations or alms; but strive to
appear harmless as doves; put on gravity and holy
awe; make others believe that ye are too devotional
to labor for a living, and that they must labor to
support you; for if you do not appear uncommonly
holy, you will not deceive the simple and get their
money. In Ac 4:34-36 and Ac 6:3 read: The convention
appointed a board of directors; any man who would
cast into the fund one hundred dollars should be one
of them for life, to dispose of the money at
discretion, and mark out the destination of the
missionaries. In Ac 13:1-4 read: Now there was at
Antioch a convention of Christians, and among them
five directors; and as they fasted and prayed, they
were moved to select two of them as missionaries;
and when they had supplied them with a good outfit,
and promised them liberal supplies, to make
Christianity appear honorable among the heathen,
they sent them away. As for Ac 20:33-35, 'I have
coveted no man's silver or gold; ye yourselves know
that these hands have ministered to my necessities
and to them that were with me; I have showed you all
things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the
weak,' etc.-these sentences are so little used in
this day of great light, that a new translation is
unnecessary. The new version of Mr 16:15 would read:
Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature-if they will give you three hundred
dollars a year they would want two or three or more
times that amount now. Ac 5:42: And daily in the
temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach
and preach Jesus Christ-for five dollars a week. Ac
11:26: And it came to pass that a whole year they
assembled themselves, and taught much people-for a
stipulated sum of two hundred and fifty dollars
each, for the year. Ac 9:38: They sent unto him two
men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to
them-and they would handsomely reward him." "If any
grades of collegiate education are essential
prerequisites to the ministry, why does God not call
those who are already in possession of those
prerequisites? Is it reasonable to believe that a
wise God would call a man to preach, when He knows
that he cannot do the work until he has studied how
to decline nouns and conjugate verbs three or four
years?" "In this day of boasted benevolent
institutions, which cost hard labor and millions of
dollars to support (called the morning of the
Millennium), but little reliance can be placed on
the words of the seller, and less on the promise of
the buyer." "For nearly fourscore years I have heard
a continual lamentation among the aged, crying, '0
the times! 0 the manners! the customs and manners of
the people are greatly depreciated from what they
were when we were young.'" Elder Leland was
providentially blessed with a wife of great industry
and patience, faith and fortitude, trained in the
school of adversity from two years of age. Her
trials were many and severe, especially during the
Revolution, when she was often left alone for weeks
with her little ones, far from neighbors, her
husband gone, with very little prospect of pecuniary
reward, and while abandoned characters were roaming
through the country. "Many a long hour she plied her
needle by moonlight to prepare clothing for her
little ones, fearful lest the ray of a lamp from her
window might attract a bloody foe." She died in
1837. On January 8th, 1841, Elder Leland preached,
from #1John 2:20 1Jo 2:27, his last sermon-a very
sound and spiritual discourse. He was taken ill that
night with pneumonia, and lingered six days, though
with little pain. The day of his death his prospects
of Heaven were clear; they had been clouded the day
before. To a young preacher who called early in the
evening, and said that they were going to hold a
prayer-meeting, and asked whether he had any advice
to give, he said: "If you feel it in your hearts, I
am glad. Forms are nothing." To the same preacher he
said: "Bury me in a humble manner. I want no
enconiums; I deserve none. I feel myself a poor,
miserable sinner, and Christ is my only hope." He
passed away in perfect peace, January 14th, 1841.